The present invention relates to a plum tree known as the "Ranch 9-Golden", and more particularly to a plum tree which bears fruit at substantially the same time as the "Roysum" Plum Tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,619), which matures at approximately the same season, and the Angeleno Plum Tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,747) to which it is similar in characteristics, but from which it is distinguished in being a full, dark purplish-red color, with firm, golden yellow flesh that has red pigment diffused in the flesh next to the fruit skin, and is further characterized by a heavy blue-gray bloom and its extreme clingstone nature.
The applicant, in an effort to upgrade his fruit products, has germinated thousands of plum seeds, of random parentage, grown the resultant seedlings to maturity, and carefully studied the characteristics of the progeny to try and discover new and superior varieties of plums. The subject variety was discovered as a result of this procedure.
The factors that contribute toward the commercial acceptance and the success of any variety of plum are numerous. However, it is well known that the visual appearance of the plum is one of primary-motivating factors involved in a consumer's decision to purchase one type of plum rather than another. It is well known that a plum that combines the desirable characteristics of visual aesthetic appeal with the complimentary attribute of having a firm, delicate-flavored flesh, is one which possesses a strong chance of becoming the object of repeated purchase by individual consumers.
It has long been recognized as desirable to provide a plum tree variety which bears fruit that has a full, dark purplish-red color, which is of uniform size and regular shape and which is characterized by a firm, golden yellow flesh. This is particularly important when the subject variety ripens at nearly the same time as numerous other varieties which have nearly similar attributes. These distinctive characteristics, therefore, allow the subject variety to have an advantage in competition with those plums that are maturing at approximately the same time.